James L. Guth teaches political science at Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, and is coeditor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Religion and American Politics.
Articles by James L. Guth
Books
The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power
Principalities and powers are always hard to see, but from time to time intrepid explorers stumble upon empires so imposing that they must be hidden from the view of almost everyone else.
From the time that George W. Bush declared Jesus his favorite political philosopher to the day Joseph Lieberman joined the Democratic ticket quoting the Book of Chronicles, religion was in the limelight during the 2000 presidential campaign. And when it was all over, Bush entered office amidst a flurry of worship services, clerical blessings and religious consultations.
The furor over George W. Bush’s campaign speech at Bob Jones University is full of ironies. Candidates have visited the campus in search of Republican votes ever since 1980 with no discernible repercussions—until now.
On the morning after the November elections, pundits announced the death of the Religious Right as a political force. Fortunately, such obituaries are environment-friendly: they are recycled every few years. The movement's prognosis actually is better than advertised, although the campaign certainly disappointed Christian conservatives, who failed to elect some of their favorite candidates.
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